Education research

About our research

Our central concern is the role that education plays in preparing people for uncertain futures shaped by technological, economic, political and environmental changes.

Our research asks: How do global trends impact local educational contexts, and how do local contexts respond to global trends?  

We employ critical and futures-oriented approaches in our theoretical and empirical studies of education policy and practice, and we value ethically-engaged and pluralising approaches.

Through collaborative projects, group members conduct studies of:

  • classrooms
  • schools
  • school systems
  • education policies
  • higher education institutions
  • informal education settings
  • transitions from education to work

Our research takes account of interconnections between these contexts and across local, national and global scales. 

We are especially interested in the ways that local and global interactions support or compromise equality and justice.

Meet the team

See contact details, publications history, specialisms and more.

Our expertise

Our research expertise includes:

  • education politics, policy and leadership
  • global citizenship education
  • democratic education
  • comparative, international and development education

Our members work with teachers, schools, education leaders, international organisations, professional bodies, governments, civil society and non-governmental organisations, and multi-sectoral networks.

Connected with Dr Karen Pashby

Karen talks about her research in global citizenship education - the colonialisation of the curriculum and the steps that she thinks can be taken to build a more equal society.

Selected projects